What does it take to not only survive, but lead, in one of the most intense environments in healthcare?

In this episode of Peak Protocols, we’re joined by Jessica B. Williams, MSN, APRN, ACCNS-AG, CCRN, a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the CVICU with over 17 years of frontline experience. Jess opens up about the physical and emotional toll of ICU medicine, and the turning point that forced her to reevaluate how she prepared for work.

From managing life-or-death ECMO scenarios to recovering from the hidden stress that built beneath the surface, Jess shares the internal practices that allowed her to return to high-stakes care with greater clarity, longevity, and leadership.

Whether you're early in your clinical career or leading a team through complex care, this conversation offers a powerful reminder: longevity isn’t just about knowledge, it’s about knowing yourself.

Got thoughts, questions, or big ideas? Reach out to the team at Arena Labs.

What can the FBI teach us about performance in healthcare? A lot more than you might think.

In this episode, Sarah Draper, a West Point graduate, Army veteran, and former FBI Special Agent, joins us to unpack what it takes to lead and last in high-stakes, high-consequence environments. After a 20-year career investigating national security threats and training the world’s top law enforcement leaders, Sarah turned her focus to medicine, coaching hundreds of physicians and nurses on sustainable performance.

We explore how disciplines used in tactical environments—like mental rehearsal, mission clarity, physiological readiness, and post-critical event recovery—translate directly to clinical settings such as trauma bays, ICUs, and ORs.

Sarah also shares what she’s learned from years of coaching frontline medical teams: the patterns of burnout, the practices that build resilience, and the small habits that sustain long-term effectiveness.

If you’re in the arena of high-stakes care, or leading those who are, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about how to prepare, perform, and recover.

Got thoughts, questions, or big ideas? Reach out to the team at Arena Labs.

In the premiere episode of Peak Protocols, we sit down with Jackie Pen — an elite performance coach whose journey has taken her from training world-class athletes at Exos and Future to leading clinician performance at Arena Labs.

Jackie isn’t just coaching the frontline of medicine, she’s redefining it. Her team translates the tools and frameworks used by Olympic athletes and special operations forces into practical, science-backed protocols for healthcare’s most demanding environments.

Whether it’s a 24-hour shift, a trauma bay at 3AM, or the quiet toll of burnout, Jackie’s coaches meet clinicians where they are, delivering strategies for readiness, recovery, and resilience.

This episode is a deep dive into what it truly takes to coach those who never get to stop.

Got thoughts, questions, or big ideas? Reach out to the team at Arena Labs.